（Beijing）

（Video recording of the Conference） 

On Nov 10^th, 2021, World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic (WAAMA) held the 3rd Enlarged Meeting of the 5th Council of WAAMA & the 6th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education Academic Exchange Seminar online. Representatives from China mainland, Hongkong China, Chinese Taipei, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Korea, Britain and US were present. The meeting was hosted by Cheng Beiping, Secretary-General of WAAMA. Ms. Liu Jianhua, President of WAAMA made work report during the meeting. Mr. Zhao Xiangyi, Assistant of Secretary-General of WAAMA, and Ms. Wang Yanling, Assistant of Secretary-General of WAAMA, Wen Zhifang, Deputy Secretary-General of Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (CAMAA), Liu Qinying, Deputy Secretary-General of CAMAA, Fu Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of CAMAA, and Huang Wenkun, Executive Dean of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fiscal Science, as well as representatives of non-council members from China, Korea and Russia attended the meeting.

（Liu Jianhua, President of WAAMA）

（Cheng Beiping, Secretary-General of WAAMA）

In the work report, Ms. Liu acknowledged the steady progress and achievements obtained by WAAMA during the past two years. Thanks to the support from and cooperation among all council members, WAAMA outperformed in many fields, such as organization structure, theoretical research, competition and appraisal, teachers education, exchanges and publicity. With the on-going pandemic, all members of WAAMA resort to innovative ideas and new ways of working, hold trainings, teachings and competitions online, paving a brand-new path of inheriting and carrying forward the intangible cultural heritage of abacus and promoting the development of abacus and mental arithmetic education.

Ms. Liu emphasized the importance of future and forward-looking. With clear direction and accurate priorities, we will promote a long and healthy development of world abacas education. Based on the development of WAAMA since its foundation, Ms. Liu offered three suggestions. First, more exchanges and closer cooperation will lead to common prosperity. All members of WAAMA need closer exchanges with each other. We encourage members to learn from each other, to work together in holding events, and to share experiences. Second, we shall adhere to the idea that abacus education can develop human mind and promote scientific development. Members should further promote theoretical research based on local education environment, and improve publicity. Last but not least, we should promote cultural exchanges, upholding the value of abacus as intangible cultural heritage. Bearing the responsibility and sense of mission in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage, we shall continue to duly fulfill the UNESCO’s contracts and promote world cultural exchanges.

Ms. Sally Chou, Vice President of WAAMA and President of Chinese American Abacus Association made a speech titled “the Future of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education After Pandemic”. She shared the experiences of successfully holding online abacus and mental arithmetic competitions and training programs. Ms. Lisa Wang, Standing Director of WAAMA and president of iStar Education of Canada, introduced the programs designed for people of different age. She offered suggestions on teachers training, teaching and exchanges, as well as holding competitions.

WAAMA will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in 2022. Hwang Ho Joong (Korea), Vice President of WAAMA, Hsiao, Chiu-Yung (Chinese Taipei), Vice President of WAAMA, Chong Tai Kaw (Malaysia), Vice President of WAAMA, Alexsander K. Taslim (Indonesia), Vice President of WAAMA, Huey ChiangHuang (US), Advisor of WAAMA, Nip Tin Sing (Hong Kong, China), Standing Director of WAAMA, Wong Hoon Wan (Malaysia), Standing Director of WAAMA, and Li Sheng (Chinese Taipei), Director of WAAMA all expressed their support to holding a 20^th anniversary celebration in Beijing, where the Association was first founded.

（Representatives Speaking during the 3rd Meeting of the 5th Council of WAAMA） 

The theme of the 6^th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education Academic Exchange Seminar of WAAMA is “Preservation and development of abacus as intangible cultural heritage”. Five experts and members made key note speeches. Mr. Alexsander K. Taslim, Vice President of WAAMA and Chairman of SEMPOA SIP Indonesia gave a speech titled “Breakthrough Virtual Learning-Really Great Brain Training Programme”. He focused on 10 new measures the Association took during the past two years facing the pandemic, including online teaching and online competitions. As the guest of honor, Ms. Liu Qinying, Deputy Secretary-General of Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association gave a speech titled “Modern Educational Value of Abacus -- An Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. She elaborated on the integration of abacus and mathematics education from the perspective of arithmetic algorithms, as well as value of abacus and research progress on its positive impact of cultivating human potentials. As a special expert, Ma Xin, Director of the Development Research Center of Beijing Shenmo Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. made a speech titled “Methods and Theoretical Analysis of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic in Educational Practice and Cultural Communication Direction”. Based on the real cases from Shenmo, he explained the positive impacts of abacus on cultural communication and education. Bin Tan Davidson, Founder and Director of UK-Sino GUILD LTD and Director of WAAMA gave a speech named “Education and Learning Through Chinese Wisdom: Chinese Abacus in UK”. Based on scientific theories and local practices, she elaborated on the benefits of abacus, in terms of enhancing learning efficiency, promoting learning ability, and cultivating good qualities. She called on everyone to "be a happy inheritor of abacus culture". Ms. Shumeiko Elena, Director of AMMA, Russia spoke on “Contemporary Value of Zhusuan as Intangible Cultural Heritage”, which acknowledged the cultural and educational value of abacus as intangible cultural heritage. She wished for a bigger role of abacus in the modern society.

（Experts speaking during the 6th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education Academic Exchange Seminar ） 

After the seminar, President Liu Jianhua hosted the 4^th Meeting of the 5^th Standing Council of WAAMA. During the meeting, the 2022 work plan of WAAMA was discussed. A consensus was reached to hold (if possible) the 6^th General Assembly of WAAMA and the 8^th World Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition along with the 20^th anniversary celebration of WAAMA in Beijing, China, in 2022. It was reviewed and approved that Nigeria's ABACUS MENTAL MATHS PROGRAM join WAAMA and become a council member. Malaysia’s EDUKIDS TECHNOLOGY SDN. BHD. was approved to join WAAMA as a non-council member. Indonesia’s PT BAINIAN SHENMO EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL INDONESIA was approved to join WAAMA as a non-council member.

（Pic of leaders and staff of WAAMA Secretary attended the meeting in Beijing）

WAAMA was founded in 2002 and will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in 2022. As an influential organization in the international abacus and mental arithmetic education and research community, WAAMA holds on to the important attributes of abacus as the intangible cultural heritage of mankind, and firmly relies on the strength of members to continuously exert efforts in the cultural inheritance of abacus, the promotion of abacus culture, and the promotion of abacus mental arithmetic education, etc., in order to facilitate the Chinese abacus to contribute to the world cultural heritage.